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17.08.2012 Politics

Be Wary Of Politicians Who Indulge In Divisiveness - Akufo-Addo Tells Electorate

17.08.2012 LISTEN
By Donald Ato Dapatem - Daily Graphic

The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has advised Ghanaians to be wary of politicians who indulge in divisiveness and ethnocentrism to gain political advantage.

He said apart from being a threat to the unity and cohesiveness of the nation, such politicians had nothing good to offer the people and Ghanaians must use their votes to kick against such persons and vote for people whose policies and programmes would bring relief to the nation.

Nana Akufo-Addo made the call during the second phase of his Greater Accra Regional tour dubbed “Restoring Hope”. Areas visited included Mallam Atta, Mallam Atta Market, Asantewa Hotel and Tip Toe Lane where he interacted with the people and addressed groups such as market women and ‘kayayei’.

At every stop, Nana Akufo-Addo introduced Mr Henry Lartey, the NPP parliamentary aspirant for the area, and urged the people to vote for him.

Holding a six-month old baby boy to his chest while at the same time addressing the people, the NPP flag bearer said God in his infinite wisdom created Ghana with a mixture of people from diverse and beautiful backgrounds and ethnic groups.

He explained that such rich diversity should not be allowed to be exploited by some politicians for their parochial interests, because what the people of Ghana were yearning for was a crop of people with the good policies and programmes to use the diversity to move the nation forward and not people who would plunge it into confusion.

Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to make education from kindergarten to senior high school and vocational and technical school free of charge.

He explained that the decision to come up with such a policy was to ensure that neither poverty nor inability to pay would be a barrier that would prevent children to at least earn full secondary education, as well as technical education.

He noted that opponents of the party had raised doubts about how an NPP government would be able to fund such a major programme and contended that apart from ensuring that the government did not pay monies to contractors who had not executed any project for the state in the name of judgement debt, revenue from oil would also play a major role in the funding.

The NPP flag bearer accused the NDC government of messing up the economy, a situation that had culminated in hardship and ever-increasing high cost of living, and added that Ghanaians should help him (Akufo Addo) to legitimately kick the NDC government out on December 7, 2012.

He said through the inefficiencies of the current administration, traders and businessmen, as well as industrialists, were finding it difficult to break even and also expand and generate the needed employment opportunities for the youth.

He promised that the next NPP administration that he would lead would embark on an aggressive and major industrial revolution that would create jobs for its people and tap the innovative skills of its people.

Nana Akufo-Addo told the crowd that he did not enter politics to enrich himself but to use his God-given talents and the knowledge he had acquired to serve the people of Ghana and ensure that the country benefitted from its rich natural and human resources.

“I am one of the astute lawyers in Ghana, if I want money, I will put on my gown and collar and wig and ply my trade as a lawyer to make money, I am in politics to serve,” he said in Twi.

He told the gathering at Tip Toe Lane that he was not a stranger to the area, because he used to visit the area and have good time when he was a young man.

Mr John Abu Jinapor, an Aide to Nana Akufo-Addo, urged Ghanaians, especially those from the northern regions, to be wary of what he described as the broken promises and lies of the NDC administration.

He challenged the current administration to show the headquarters of the fund and what it had been able to achieve after three years, apart from the numerous workshop they had organised just to waste resources.

He said the 2012 election was about either the forward match and the development of the country or the decision to remain stagnant in the present hardship and corrupt and incompetent administration.

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